Brave pensioner foils raid on jewellery shop

Moment of truth: the man rips the balaclava from the robber before walking away to catch a bus

A PENSIONER foiled a raid on a jewellery shop when he knocked over a sledgehammer-wielding hoodie and ripped off his balaclava.

The unmasking shocked the robber and his accomplice into discarding their weapons and fleeing empty-handed as the elderly man shouted "I've got your DNA."

The poppy-wearing pensioner, believed to be 83, intervened despite a crowd of 50 onlookers standing by.

He walked up to the two attackers as they pounded the reinforced windows of Ernest Jones in George Street, Richmond, up to 20 times yesterday lunchtime.

Gabrielle Henry, manager of WT Spa in the street, said: "I saw this old guy go past and push one of them over. He grabbed his balaclava and shouted 'I've got your DNA.' The other guy was still hitting the window but then they ran off."

The attackers were apparently targeting Rolex watches in the shop understood to have been robbed at least three times in the past year.

Nick Thompson, a 35-year-old IT technician who watched the drama from his office, said: "I thought it was brilliant that someone can still have the guts to take on someone much younger and bigger.

"There must have been about 40 to 50 people watching but he was the only one who thought, 'I'm not putting up with this'. We were all amazed he had the guts to do it."

Sammy Coco, deputy manager of Gant, said the pensioner had saved the day.

Mr Coco told how he chased the would-be robbers with three others including a seven-year-old boy who took down the number plate of the getaway car, a silver Vauxhall coup.

Today Ernest Jones said it wanted to reward the man. Spokesman Tim Jackson said: "We will be arranging to give him a Rolex watch in recognition. However it is dangerous for the public to do this and our priority is safety of the public and staff."

After the robbers ran off, he simply smiled at the crowd before walking to a nearby stop and boarding a bus. "It was like he was pleased with himself," Mr Thompson added.

"He gave this great little smile and then walked away to catch his bus. He must have known it was about to come and didn't want to miss it."

The story prompted much online debate. One reader, Tony D, wrote: "Well done to the elderly warrior. I'm guessing he's been through some real wartime battles in his youth, and knows more about real bravery than most of the watching crowd put together."